EAW Pain 4 Pride
Pain 4 Pride (also referred to as Pain for Pride IV) was the fourth annual Pain for Pride professional wrestling pay-per-view event produced by Extreme Answers Wrestling for their Dynasty, Showdown, and Voltage brands. It took place on June 24 and 25, 2011, at the NRG Stadium in Houston, TX. The card consisted of thirteen matches, including two unannounced matches and, for the first time, three world championship matches. Headlining the second night of the two-day event was a bout between CM Bank$ and Mr. DEDEDE, officiated by special guest referee and EAW Hall of Fame inductee HRDO, which was promoted as being a feud that was nearly a half-decade in the making. 'Production' 'Background' Pain For Pride is considered EAW's flagship event, and has been described across multiple years as "the pinnacle of e-federations." This was the first and only Pain for Pride in the state of Texas. At the time of its occurrence, Pain 4 Pride would have the highest attendance figure out of any Pain for Pride (76,373), a record broken three years later at Pain for Pride VII. There were three official theme songs for the event: "Letters From The Sky" by Civil Twilight, "Spotlight" by Saliva, and "Stereo Sun" by Lupe Fiasco. In addition to heavy promotion of the marquee matchups that boasted a return appearance from EAW Hall of Fame inductee, HRDO, Pain 4 Pride had a number of celebrity appearances at the event. Grammy-nominated rapper, songwriter, and entrepreneur, , performed "Hate Me Now" during the entrance of EAW World Heavyweight Champion The Rated R Shaman of Sexy. 'Storylines' The card consisted of thirteen matches, including two unannounced contests, that resulted from storylines where wrestlers portrayed villains, heroes, or less distinguishable characters in events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Storylines between the characters played out on EAW's primary television programs, Dynasty, Showdown, and Voltage. pictured at EAW Grand Rampage (2011).]]At EAW Grand Rampage (2011), Robbie V won the annual Grand Rampage match by outlasting twenty-nine other competitors including his former tag-team partner in Sex N' Violence, The Rated R Shaman of Sexy. As a result of his victory, Robbie V was granted a main event championship match against RRS at Pain for Pride. Despite the pairing being tag team champions at the time, both Robbie V and RRS coexisted, maintaining a professional dynamic as the two prepared for their eventual clash. In the top program of Voltage, Answers World Champion Y2Impact was targeted by CEO and acting general manager Matt Daniels. Daniels, who was alarmed by Voltage's lack of representation in other marquee events, issued an ultimatum to Y2Impact, stating that he would be fired if he did not retain his championship. Lethal Consequences, a former world champion himself, qualified to enter the championship match after contests on weekly episodes of Voltage along with Ashten Cross, a rising talent on the same brand. Entering the match, Y2Impact boasted an impressive undefeated streak at Pain for Pride events. Heart Break Boy at a house in May 2011.]]Extreme Enigma, who had finished as one of the final two extremists in the Grand Rampage match, would later be awarded a championship opportunity against EAW World Champion Heart Break Boy. Enigma sought redemption after having lost his own world championship the previous year. Chris Hessian and Devan Dubian, co-holders of the EAW New Breed Championship and representatives of Team Starr had been previously engaged in a program against both EAW Interwire Champion Power and EAW National Extreme Champion Speedy. Each champion of their respective brand had been involved in various matches against each other to assert themselves as the most imposing mid-card talents. This culminated to a tag team match at Pain 4 Pride where the extremist pinned would lose their championship. In the weeks following up to Pain 4 Pride, the first annual 24/7 Contract Battle Royal was announced. The Battle Royal would consist of ten participants who would look to eliminate their opponents by throwing them over the top rope and to the floor. The winner of the match would be awarded a championship opportunity that they would be able to redeem for any championship at any time of their choosing, so long as they were able to defend that contract from other vying contenders at any point before redemption. The contest would include primarily young, unproven talents and returning veterans including Marq "The Bolt" Banks, Erik Yung, Viper, MosesX, Straight Edge Crow, Killswitch, Doni Prasdana, Carnage, Nick Angel, and Mr. Insult. As an annual tradition at Pain for Pride, eight extremists took part in the Cash in the Vault Ladder Match, a multi-man ladder match where the winner is able to climb a letter a secure a briefcase that hangs above the ring. The winner of the Cash in the Vault Ladder Match would become the holder of the Cash in the Vault briefcase, which could be redeemed at the discretion of the holder for a world championship opportunity. Participants qualified for the ladder match in preliminary matches on their respective brands; the participants included Ryan Mason, Alex Anderson, Mr. Blood, Scott Diamond, Superior Quality 85, Prince of Phenomenal, Vic Vendetta, and Alexander Da Vinci. on an episode of Dynasty.]]After weeks of taunting by a mysterious "Him", Kevin Devastation would challenge the man behind the mind-games, John Alloy. Devastation was largely criticized for his winless streak at Pain for Pride entering Pain 4 Pride, while Alloy was widely regarded as one of the top up-and-coming talents in the industry. The two would agree to participate in a "Highway to Hell" match, where the winner of the match would have to incapacitate their opponent, place them into a casket, and wheel the casket up the ramp to a pre-marked finish line. In another program, rising talent, Jason Cage, would challenge EAW Elite Champion StarrStan for his championship after having surprisingly eliminated Starr in the Grand Rampage match. In the weeks leading up to the event, aspects of patriotism were prominently referenced, as StarrStan boasted his pride in American tradition and Jason Cage originated and trained in his hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Both men were widely regarded as some of the top tacticians and technical athletes in the industry at the time. As part of the EAW Vixens Championship program, champion Christy Cruise led a crowded and growing division that included several former and future women's champions. In order to meet the high demands of several challengers, Christy Cruise would be placed in a five-woman scramble match for her championship. Two vixens would begin in the ring with another vixen added to the match after five minutes of competition. The championship could change hands at any point in the match, but reigns would not become official until the twenty minute time limit would be met. Aside from Cruise, Heart Break Gal, Cameron Ella Ava, Carrie, and Kendra Shamez would be included in the match. Following a last-minute title change on an episode of Showdown entering the final weeks of Pain 4 Pride, Channel Zero, the team of Kawajai and Apollo Calix, would become defending EAW Unified Tag Team Champions. Teams from the other two brands, Sons of Mayhem (Eddie Mack and Mr. Smyth) and The New Cavalry (Ross Shackleford and Storm Lightning), would challenge Showdown's Ground Zero in a three-team elimination flaming tables match. The object of the match would be to drive an opponent through a table that was ignited by fire. Each member of the match would need to be eliminated in order for the contest to be completed, meaning that both members of each team would need to be eliminated to secure a victory. The winners of the match would become the Unified Tag Team Champions. , CM Bank$, and special guest referee HRDO.]]As the marquee match of the night and the most highly-anticipated, Mr. DEDEDE and CM Bank$ reignited a longstanding feud that had been brewing since their time in Answers Wrestling Federation in 2007. The two extremists, who had not had many opportunities to cross paths since EAW's split from their parent company, had padded their respective careers and legacies with world championships, decisive victories, and all-time matches. As Pain 4 Pride drew closer, speculation of their silent rivalry increased, promoted further by media comparisons between the two resumes. In order to include three of the most pivotal faces in EAW's split from AWF, HRDO was added to the match as a special guest referee. In the final weeks leading up to the event, the faces of all three EAW Legends were widely promoted, signaling a likely situation where the showdown that had been nearly half a decade in the making would close the event. 'Event' 'Preliminary Matches' In the first televised match of the evening, EAW Interwire Champion Power and EAW National Extreme Champion Speedy teamed up to take on co-holders of the EAW New Breed Championship, Devan Dubian and Chris Hessian. As Speedy attempted to strike Hessian, Power blindsided his own partner with a spear before exiting the match and leaving Speedy to fend for himself. Dubian hit his signature Air Bourne on Speedy before pinning him and becoming the new National Extreme Champion. Power returned to the ring after the conclusion of the match to deliver several powerbombs to Speedy. after pinning Speedy for his EAW National Extreme Championship.]] In the second match of the night, Killswitch, Viper, Mr. Insult, Nick Angel, Carnage, Doni Prasdana, Marq Banks, Moses X, and The Straight Edge Crow, and Erik Yung participated in the 24/7 Contract Battle Royal. As Nick Angel and Erik Yung battled as the final two competitors in the match, an unnamed EAW Official conferenced with the ring announcer to announce that an eleventh participant would be added into the match. Just as Yung eliminated Angel, long-time gag-character Undefined entered the ring and promptly eliminated him. Livid, Yung immediately attacked Undefined and executed his finishing maneuver, the Wasteland, before pinning Undefined and becoming the new holder of the 24/7 Contract. In the annual Cash in the Vault Ladder Match, Ryan Mason, Alex Anderson, Mr. Blood, Scott Diamond, Superior Quality 85, Prince of Phenomenal, Vic Vendetta, and Alexander Da Vinci squared off against each other. In the closing moments, Superior Quality 85 and Alexander Da Vinci stood at the top of the ladder, trading blows with one another. From behind, Vic Vendetta struck Da Vinci with Da Vinci's signature sledgehammer, prompting him to fall from the top of the ladder and likely costing him the match. Superior Quality 85 would then unhook the briefcase and become the Cash in the Vault Briefcase holder. For the fifth match of the night, John Alloy and Kevin Devastation met in a "Highway to Hell" match. During the match, Nick Angel interfered and hit Alloy from behind with a steel chair, giving Devastation an opportunity to take control of the match. After Devastation was able to further incapacitate his opponent, place him in a coffin, and roll him up the ramp, Devastation poured lighter fluid over the casket and set it on fire. EMTs quickly worked to extinguish the flames and tear open the casket lid, only to find that Alloy was not inside. Instead, a melting wax dummy split onto the stage. As the final match and main event of Day 1, Y2Impact, Lethal Consequences, and Ashten Cross battled in a triple threat match for the EAW Answers World Championship. After Ashten Cross knocked Y2Impact out with an F5, Lethal Consequences locked Cross in a Lockdown submission, forcing him to tap out. As a result of the loss, Y2Impact was promptly released from EAW Voltage at the command of CEO Matt Daniels. celebrating his victory and retention of the EAW Elite Championship.]] To begin the second day of the event, StarrStan and Jason Cage faced off for the EAW Elite Championship. In a technical display of submissions and grappling, former Olympian, StarrStan, was able to get the upper hand, forcing Cage to submit to the ankle lock after a hard-fought battle. Devan Dubian and Chris Hessian, members of Team Starr, entered the ring with StarrStan's Elite Championship, propping him up on their shoulders and celebrating in the ring with all of their championships. The five-woman Championship Scramble for the EAW Vixens Championship began with defending champion Christy Cruise and challenger Heart Break Gal. After the first five minutes of the contest, Cameron Ella Ava entered the match, cutting off Heart Break Gal from being able to cover Cruise after a superkick. As a result, Ella Ava was the unofficial Vixens Champion. As the match wore on, Cruise opportunistically rolled Ella Ava into a small package, pinning her to regain her championship. At the ten minute mark, Carrie entered the match. While Carrie and Cruise brawled, Heart Break Gal was able to hit the Paparazzi Plunge on Ella Ava before pinning her to become the unofficial Vixens Champion. At the fifteen minute mark, the final entrant, Kendra Shamez entered the match and promptly knocked Heart Break Gal out with a superkick of her own, pinning her and becoming the unofficial Vixens Champion. In the final five minutes of regulation, Carrie would be able to pin Ella Ava to become unofficial champion, followed by Cruise securing a pin over Carrie to become unofficial champion, followed by Shamez pinning Cruise for to become unoffical champion. With Shamez as the unofficial champion and a minute left, both she and Heart Break Gal traded blows. In the final seconds, Heart Break Gal was able to roll up Shamez for a quick pin just as time expired to become the new EAW Vixens Champion. In the third match of the second night, Ground Zero (Kawajai and Apollo Calix), Sons of Mayhem (Eddie Mack and Mr. Smyth), and The New Cavalry (Ross Shackleford and Storm Lightning) took part in a three-time elimination flaming tables match. Ross Shackleford, Mr. Smyth, and Kawajai were eliminated from their respective teams, leaving one member of each team to fend for themselves. Apollo Calix was able to hit Storm Lightning with an electric chair drop through a flaming table to completely eliminate The New Cavalry, leaving Eddie Mack of Sons of Mayhem and Apollo Calix of Ground Zero. Mack was able to hit his finishing move, Imackulate, from the turnbuckle, throwing Calix to the outside and crashing through an ignited table. As a result, the Sons of Mayhem became the new EAW Unified Tag Team Champions. awaiting the bell to begin the contest against Heart Break Boy.]] After much speculation, CEO Matt Daniels claimed to know who was in control of Power's contract, subjecting him to a series of impromptu matches to both frustrate him and test his strength. Daniels invited Power out to the ring before revealing Scott Diamond as the apparent controller of the contract. Enraged, Power looked to attack Diamond before being struck in the back of the head by Matt Daniels. Daniels later revealed that he was the one in control of the contract all along and initiated another impromptu match between Diamond and Power for Power's EAW Interwire Championship. Diamond quickly hit Power with a bicycle kick and pinned him to become the new EAW Interwire Champion. In the second of three world championship matches during the weekend, Extreme Enigma challenged Heart Break Boy for the EAW World Championship. After a grueling back and forth between the two extremists, Heart Break Boy was able to hit a final superkick to the jaw of Enigma, knocking him to the mat. Heart Break Boy was able to pin Extreme Enigma to retain his championship, but needed to be helped to the back as the two competitors laid out in pools of their own blood, completely spent from the altercation they had both just endured. 'Main Event Matches' In the first of two main events of the evening, EAW Grand Rampage winner Robbie V challenged The Rated R Shaman of Sexy for the EAW World Heavyweight Championship. The highly anticipated contest lasted for over an hour, with both competitors moving quickly and explosively throughout the match. In the final sequence, Robbie V was able to hit his signature move, the concussion, in order to knock RRS out. Both men collapsed with Robbie V pinning his opponent and capturing his first world championship. during his entrance at Pain 4 Pride.]] The closing match of the event pitted CM Bank$ and Mr. DEDEDE against each other with HRDO as the special guest referee. Although HRDO did everything in his power to keep the contest from getting out of control, the rivalry between CM Bank$ and Mr. DEDEDE boiled over, spilling out of the ring and quickly getting out of hand. In the final sequence, Mr. DEDEDE attempted to execute a diving chair strike that he called "the wings of hell," only to be caught in mid-air by CM Bank$ and hit with the Go to Retirement. Bank$ collapsed over his opponent and secured the victory through pinfall. After the match, CM Ban$ continued to brutalized Mr. DEDEDE, only to be stopped by HRDO. As Bank$ and HRDO argued with each other, Mr. DEDEDE struck Bank$ in the back of the head with a steel chair, allowing HRDO to subsequently hit a chokeslam. Both Mr. DEDEDE and HRDO shook hands after the match to show mutual respect for one another before HRDO raised Mr. DEDEDE's arm in congratulatory fashion. 'Reception' The event received acclaim from both fans and critics alike. It is often regarded as one of the top Pain for Pride events in history and is seen as a turning point in EAW as a company, both writing off key figures who were prominent in the early years of the federation and displaying a slew of young talent that would flourish in the coming year. 'Aftermath' In the closing moments of the show, the camera followed Mr. DEDEDE backstage where he was met by newly-minted World Heavyweight Champion Robbie V. After a brief moment of silence, the two embraced in a hug, before being met by a line of extremists. Mr. DEDEDE patted Robbie V on the shoulder and shook his hand to show respect before Robbie V would thank him and turn down the line of their peers. As the two moved down the line, they shook hands and embraced each other. At the end of the line, Robbie V and RRS stood face to face in silence for a moment, then hugged. Mr. DEDEDE followed suit. As Robbie V reluctantly turned away, he was met with CEO Matt Daniels who stared him down. Robbie V took his World Heavyweight Championship and placed it in the hands of the CEO before continuing to walk down the hall, exiting through the double doors, and leaving their peers and their applause behind them. Following this event, Robbie V would officially announce his retirement from the company, subsequently relinquishing and vacating the EAW World Heavyweight Championship. 'Results' *Indicates an impromptu match that had not previously been announced Category:EAW Category:EAW CPV's Category:2011